Re: IMPORTANT: Abstract Update

Thanks, Lionel! I like this a lot and will do a second pass rewrite now
based on your draft.

I have a few comments inline below to explain my thinking.


Lionel Wolberger writes:
> Hi Janina,
> 
> I was tweaking this, Sharing now
> 
> The document examines accessibility remediations applied post-source to deliver accessible experiences without relying on additional on-screen widgets.

I like this sentence better than what we have, but we can't use it
because "post-source" is not a widely understood term. So, we risk
losing our readers at the very start.

> Outcomes achievable post-source are treated as atomic "capabilities,"
This is simple, straight forward, and wrong. Our capabilities are
technological whose appropriate application facilitates WCAG outcomes.
But our capabilities and WCAG outcomes aren't the same thing.

Even if I'm wrong in saying this, I still don't want to make outcomes
and capabilities equivalent. We do a great job, imo, emphasizing human
centered outcomes. But how we achieve those outcomes is by applying our
capabilities appropriately:

*	Adjusting screen colors and contrasts is the capability.
	The user's ability to read what they couldn't read before is the
	outcome.

	*	Creating properly denoted hyperlinks is the capability.
	The outcome is that the user clearly knows where to click.

Imo, we've done a great job with this distinction throughout so
shouldn't shoot ourselves in the foot up top!

Turning to WCAG:

We cross-reference WCAG Success Criteria because they provide a
capability to capability mapping for us. What we say and what the WCAG
SC say are essentially the same.

But WCAG SC are not the outcomes, and they're not the WCAG spec itself
either.

Thanks for this opportunity to try and more clearly understand this
distinction. We need to get good at articulating it as we move to
publication and further efforts beyond publication.

I see multiple phrasing in what you have that I do think is very usable,
though! So, stay tuned for a Draft 2 soon!

Best,
Janina


>implemented with the same HTML/CSS/JS techniques used in-source, and WCAG is mapped to the outcomes  throughout as the normative reference. The document opens with ??? taxonomy???Content (HTML), Presentation (CSS), and Functionality (JavaScript)???followed by Management topics and Aspirational directions, plus brief sections on human-centered design and roles/responsibilities. The evaluation method for each capability is consistent: Source (where issues arise), Trade-Offs (post- vs in-source), Benefit (user impact), and Automatability (whether patterns permit automation), with automation framed as rule-/pattern-based and requiring human oversight. Subsequent sections characterize capabilities across content (e.g., alternative text, titles, language), presentation (e.g., focus visibility, contrast/readability, re-rendering for perception), and functionality (e.g., notifications, authentication, forms, interactive components), with WCAG cross-references.  Management and maintenance concerns, as well as forward-looking capabilities, are addressed at a high level.  A closing discussion articulates human-centered design principles and an appendix clarifies responsibilities across the ecosystem.
> 
> From: Janina Sajka <janina@a11y.nyc>
> Date: Friday, August 29, 2025 at 15:28
> To: Accessibility at the Edge <public-a11yedge@w3.org>
> Cc: Lionel Wolberger <lionel@userway.org>, Mike Paciello <michael.paciello@audioeye.com>, Jason Taylor <jason@usablenet.com>
> Subject: IMPORTANT: Abstract Update
> 
> CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
> 
> 
> Colleagues:
> 
> I've recieved no response on my edits to the Abstract. Is this a case of
> silent ascent? I ask pointedly because this is a major rewrite of our
> document's Abstract!
> 
> https://a11yedge.github.io/capabilities/#abstract
> 
> Best,
> Janina
> 
> Janina Sajka writes:
> > Dear All:
> >
> > As discussed on yesterday's teleconference I began editing our Abstract.
> > I ended up with a comprehensive rewrite as follows:
> >
> > <begin new content>
> >
> > Abstract
> >
> > We discuss trade offs and benefits of accessibility remediations applied after the source code layer to deliver accessible web experiences to end users--without any reliance on added user interface widgets.
> >
> >       * The WCAG outcomes which can be accomplished post-source are discussed as individual "capabilities." These range from supplying missing alternative text and personalizing the visual presentation to rebuilding interactive components in real-time.
> >
> >       * We also consider whether the capabilities discussed can be automated based on the presence of programmatically recognizable patterns conducive to automated adaptation.
> >
> >       * The technological approaches relied on include the same HTML, CSS, and JavaScripted adaptations found in-source, but effected real-time in content delivery pipelines as well as in browser extensions.
> >
> > Lastly, we consider the role of post-source approaches in the maintanence and management of web deployments, and also in certain potential development directions.
> >
> > --
> >
> > Janina Sajka (she/her/hers)
> > Accessibility Consultant https://linkedin.com/in/jsajka
> >
> > The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
> > Co-Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures   http://www.w3.org/wai/apa
> >
> > Linux Foundation Fellow
> > https://www.linuxfoundation.org/board-of-directors-2/
> >
> >
> 
> --
> 
> Janina Sajka (she/her/hers)
> Accessibility Consultant https://linkedin.com/in/jsajka
> 
> The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
> Co-Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures     http://www.w3.org/wai/apa
> 
> Linux Foundation Fellow
> https://www.linuxfoundation.org/board-of-directors-2/
> 

-- 

Janina Sajka (she/her/hers)
Accessibility Consultant https://linkedin.com/in/jsajka

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
Co-Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures	http://www.w3.org/wai/apa

Linux Foundation Fellow
https://www.linuxfoundation.org/board-of-directors-2/

Received on Friday, 29 August 2025 17:12:41 UTC